Three of North Dakota's top leaders sent a letter to Pres. Barack Obama calling on him to immediately grant an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline. DAPL partners Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics also announced a merger deal Tuesday.READ MORESHARE

Tesoro Logistics LP has purchased 650 miles of gathering pipeline and two natural gas processing facilities in North Dakota's Bakken shale play for $700 million from a producer and an energy services and midstream firm.READ MORESHARE

North Dakota producers in the prime areas of the Bakken have dropped their break-even prices to levels of new reserves in the Mideast. However, uncertainty about OPEC, the Dakota Access Pipeline and uncompleted wells in the U.S. cloud the future. READ MORESHARE

Emerald Oil Inc.'s team has not let a period of low oil prices deter its commitment to the Williston Basin. After a year spent in the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy process, the Denver-based exploration and production company is back in the Bakken. READ MORESHARE

The U.S. Department of the Interior has released its five-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing near Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. The Consumer Energy Alliance called it a step backward and both Alaska senators are said to be infuriated. READ MORESHARE

Results of a new study commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute support the EPA's assessment that fracking has no widespread, systemic impact on drinking water. API said state and federal agencies are effectively regulating the activity. READ MORESHARE